Carding device for artificial teeth.



T. STEELE CARDIN'G DEWCE FOR ARTIFICIAL TEETH. APPLICATION men JULY 31. 1914.

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ionrrn eras earner 'lI-IOMAS STEELE, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE COLUMBUS DENTAL MANU- FAGTURING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CARDING DEVICE FUR ARTIFICIAL TEETH.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS STEELE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carding Devices for Artificial Teeth, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to carding devices for artificial teeth and consists particularly in the provision of a device of this character wherein one or more teeth may be removably mounted upon a base member either for display purposes or for convenience in shipping. Another advantage of this manner of mounting teeth, resides in the fact that a complete set may be mounted upon one card and this card then used as may be desired, the main result being that a complete set of teeth may always be had and these teeth removably mounted in such manner that their working surfaces are not marred.

The main object of my invention resides in the provision of securing elements to be used in connection with artificial teeth having attaching openings in their rear walls, these securing elements being slightly larger than the size of the openings in the teeth which they engage, these elements being adapted to be compressed by the placement of a tooth thereon. More specifically stated, these securing elements are of a resilient nature and are slightly larger than the portions of the openings in the teeth which they are adapted to engage.

The specific structure of the engaging portions of these elements, as shown in the accompanying drawings, I also consider an important feature of my invention.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts, and in which:

Figure 1 shows a face View of one of my carding devices with two teeth in position,

Fig. 2 is a view in enlarged perspective of one of my engaging elements prior to its attachment to the supporting base member or card,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and,

Fig. 4.- shows a face view of the rear wall of an artificial tooth to which my structure, as shown, is particularly adaptable.

In practising my invention, one or more Patented Nov. 21, 191 "L? i Application filed July 31, 1914. Serial No. 854,358.

attaching elements may be secured to the card or base member as may be desired, but in these drawings I have shown the base member 1 as carrying a plurality of these attaching elements. The attaching elements themselves comprise a U-shaped formation whose legs 2 and 3 extend in substantially right angles to the face of the card member 1. The lower edge of the log 2 lies adjacent the face of the member 1 and is free therefrom in all respects, while the lower edge of the leg 3 is bent at substantially right angles to form an engaging surface as is shown at d. This portion is then again bent at right angles to assume the shape shown at 5 in Fig. 2. At this point, the portion 5 is passed through suitable slits or slots in the base member 1 and then again bent at right angles as is shown at 6 to come into clamping engagement with this card memher. It will be noted that the portions at, 5 and 6 form a second U-shaped formation,

this latter being designed to come into clamping engagement with the body of the card 1, while the connecting portion 4 passes through the slits or slots therein. It is also to be noted that the portions 4. and 6 lie mainly upon one side of a central plane passing through the U-shaped formation formed by the legs 2 and 3 and in this manner gives considerable rigidity to the mounting of the attaching elements themselves, in asmuch as it precludes oscillation thereof under normal conditions.

By reference to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the tooth to which the structure shown in these drawings is particularly adaptable, is provided with a central bore 7 and a communicating slot 8 in its rear wall such as that employed in what is known to the trade as the Steele tooth. Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the U-shaped formation caused by the legs 2 and 3 is made slightly larger than that portion of the opening in the tooth which it is adapted to engage. In connecting a tooth with the card or supporting member having the re silient attaching device described, the tooth is slipped longitudinally or endwise into connection with the U-shaped member, the latter entering the bore and communicating slot of the tooth at the gingival end of said tooth. In this operation, it will be understood that the legs 2 and 3 of the resilient attaching member, are slightly moved toward each other by their contact with the inner surfaces of the tooth slot and the outer rounded portion of the U-shaped member engages the bore 7 of the tooth, thus providing a dependable although detachable connection of the tooth with the carding'device.

It will thus be apparent that I have pro vided a type of carding device in which the teeth themselves are removably gripped with sufiicient firmness to serve all intents and purposes. It will also be apparent that these teeth may be placed in position upon the card with practically as much ease asis their removal.

It is obvious that the carding device which I have described, will not only facilitate the desirable assembling of a set or any number of teeth on a card, from which they can be readily removed when desired for use, but such carding device will be of great utility and convenience in mailing or otherwise shipping teeth in desired numbers.

l/Vhat I claim, is: i

1. The combination with an artificial tooth having a longitudinally slotted rear wall, of a base member, and a securing element carried by said member formed with a resilient elongated U-shaped engaging frame extending at right angles to the face of said member and adapted to resiliently engage the recess in said tooth, one of the legs of said U-shaped formation being free while the other leg is rigidly attached to said member.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing Washington, D. G.

2. The combination with an artificial tooth having a longitudinally slotted rear wall, of a base member, and a securing element carried by said member formed with an elongated resilient U-shaped engaging formation extending at right angles to the face of said member and adapted to resiliently engage'the recess in said tooth, one of the legs of 'said U-shaped formation being free while the other leg is rigidly attached to said member by passing through said member and by clampingengagement therewith.

3. The combination with an artificial tooth having a longitudinally slotted rear wall, of a base member, and a securing element carried by said member formed with an elongated resilient U-shaped engaging formation extending at right angles to the face of said member and adapted to resiliently engage the recess in said tooth, one of the legs of said U-shaped formation being free while the other leg is given a second U-shaped formation the legs of which lie in clamping engagement with the opposite faces of said member, and the connecting portion of said second named U- shaped formation passing through said member. 7 7

I11 testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, THOMAS STEELE.

Witnesses C. C. SHEPHERD, WV. L. Morrow. r

the Commissioner of Patents, 

